I Don't Want to Talk About It
by muggleborn.dragon.ryder
Summary: We all have that taboo subject. That 'I don't want to talk about it'. Well, for some people, it's way more complicated than that. Big four fic, featuring Jack from Rise of the Guardians and Rapunzel from Tangled. Rated T for future chapters. Eventual Rapunzel/Flynn
1. Chapter 1

**I Don't Want to Talk About It **

**A/N: My newest story! :D and it's a Big Four fic, too, wow :D I've never written this fandom before, unless you count a misguided attempt back in December ;-; but I think I've grown as a writer and I think I'm finally ready :D updates will be sporadic, I'm finishing off the To Be Loved the Way You Love Me trilogy at the moment, so...**

**Oh, and the next chapter will be in Hiccup's POV :D the name in bold at the top indicates whose POV it's in :D **

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**- Merida –**

"Merida!"

My own name hits my ears with more force than a punch. I jump about a foot in the air, looking around for the source before remembering the paper in my hand. That sounded like Punzie's voice, and if she ever found out…I tear the paper in two as quick as I can, swinging one leg over Angus' broad back so I can pretend that he was just tired this whole time.

"We've got to stick together," Punzie comes swinging into view, her strangely long, thick golden hair suspending her between two trees. She's glaring at me, but it's light, and I can tell that she prefers not to scold. "I don't like this forest, and I don't like the idea of you getting lost in it, especially when you're alone."

I drop my eyes to Angus' mane. "He's tired." But that's not the truth. If she was paying attention, she would be able to tell from the way my hands are shaking. But Rapunzel is not paying attention, not at this moment; she's busy being annoyed that I fell behind, as per usual. Really, everybody keeps telling me that I should just ride on Toothless with Hiccup, or let Rapunzel's hair carry me from tree to tree, but I'm scared that Angus will run off without me. And the only place he knows besides by my side is home, and if he went home without me…

The words flash in front of my eyes again: _"Her family is desperate for news". _

Desperate. Right. Yeah. Like I'll ever believe that.

"You keep holding us up like this, and I'll make Jack walk with you to keep you in line," Punzie continues.

My jaw drops and for a second, the poster is forgotten as I glare up at her. "You wouldn't!"

"No," she confesses, "I wouldn't, but you should have seen your face. Keep up, Merida!"

I urge Angus into a slightly faster trot as she swings away from me, her blonde hair catching the last few rays of the setting sun and gleaming momentarily gold. I study his brown fur with all those little white patches mixed in, this horse I've loved since I was a little girl, and I start wondering what they would say if he turned up without me. Would they actually be scared for my safety? My dad, maybe. Maybe even my brothers. But her…she wouldn't be. Why would she ever be? She's probably glad that I'm gone.

The thought saddens me, but it stiffens my resolve. This is what needs to be done. Still… I throw a slightly guilty glance at the shredded paper in the grass behind me.

"Merida," my name floats back to me in the cool autumn air again as Punzie reappears. "Please keep up, really, you scared Jack half to death when he couldn't see you from the sky."

I glare up at the distant blue speck for a second; I don't have the best vision, but I'm imagining that he looks almost sheepish. I lower my gaze back to Punzie as she continues. "We're looking for a nice place to sleep, and I think we may have found it."

"Already?" I ask, surprised, following her blindly as she leads me to the spot they chose. I normally voice my opinion on where we should set up camp, but today I guess I was just too shaken to even remember it.

"Yeah, it's pretty much shielded from the cold, so—

"Which reminds me," I jump off Angus, pushing the poster out of my mind for good. "Come down here, Frost!"

"Oh, Merida, no," Rapunzel pleads. "Can't we just have a quiet night without you two—

"Yes, Princess?"

The title makes me flinch, but he's been calling me that ever since he met me; I guess a part of me still panics upon hearing it. "Don't call me that," I snap, just like I have every other time, glaring up into those amused blue eyes. "In case you haven't noticed, Snowflake, none of us can really afford to catch frostbite right now."

He runs his fingers through his hair, leaning against the tree trunk. "Lay off, Mer," he calls. "I'm being careful. Nobody's gotten too cold yet, right, Punzie? Right, Hicc?"

"Lsggreacemteouths." At least, I think that's what Hiccup said as Toothless flew down and he tumbled off the dragon, leaning against the scaly black side. "Sleep."

Normally, Jack would be jumping all over him to find out what he said and win the argument, but today, he lets the other boy be. Hiccup took watch all night last night, and he didn't sleep at all today; it's understandable to all of us why he's so tired. Toothless lights a fire for the rest of us, creating a small crater in the ground and then curls up next to his rider, cooing and nuzzling him to keep him warm, but Hiccup is already pretty much asleep, just shivering lightly.

Jack looks the slightest bit guilty at this, and stays as far from the fire and its crackling warmth as he can get. I sink down next to the fire with a sigh, spreading my hands gratefully out towards the flames. "Thank you, Toothless," I whisper to the dragon. The creature's green eyes pop open for a second and he croons deep in his throat. Hiccup snuggles closer to him, and Toothless' attention is instantly recaptured by the boy.

I let my gaze fall back to the flickering fire, where Punzie is covering herself with her hair, flopping down on the ground with a heavy sigh. Toothless gives her a reproachful look when Hiccup stirs, and she blushes slightly. "Sorry, sorry!"

I carefully remove my bow from where it rests in the middle of my chest, examining every inch of the gleaming wood by the light of the fire. A figure flickers in my peripheral vision, but it's just Jack, standing suddenly closer than he was. He kneels down next to me, his back to the glowing warmth. "I'll take watch."

"You took watch the night before the last," I remind him. "I should do it, it's only fair."

"I'm a winter spirit," he responds, like he always does. "I don't need as much sleep as mortals do."

"For a winter spirit, though, you look exhausted," I reply. "I'm not getting much sleep anyway, so you might as well take it. I'm gonna be up all night anyway."

"Particular reason why?" he raises an eyebrow, the firelight illuminating one half of his face as he turns slightly toward me.

My grip on my bow tightens. "That's none of your business."

He raises his hands in surrender. "Right, got it, sorry." He leaps nimbly up from the ground and into a tree branch, holding his staff tightly in one hand.

I gaze around for a second, but Toothless is already all curled up with his rider, both of them asleep, and Rapunzel is nearly there, so there's nothing too interesting to look at. With a sigh, I fall back upon the ground and stare up at the stars. They look dim tonight for some reason, dimmer than I remember. Even the sky is feeling down.

I think of the poster again, nailed to the tree trunk. Promising a reward if they found me and brought me back. Five thousand gold pieces. It's not like my parents don't have that kind of money, but I wish they wouldn't waste it. I'm never getting caught. They thought I would be easy to track, in the beginning, but I turned out not to be. I've stayed gone for a week and counting, and they're no closer to finding me at all. I smile to myself, bitter but triumphant. The pampered little princess of Dunbroch gave them more trouble than they ever expected.

But then again, I'm not the quiet, shy little damsel that most princesses are taught to be. I am so much more than that.

Of course, home is one of my taboo subjects. That subject that, whenever anyone tries to ask about it, I simply say, "I'm not going to talk about it" and the other three leave me alone. It works. I watch the stars grow seemingly dimmer and dimmer, and I push all thoughts of home from my mind. I told the other three that I didn't want to talk about it. So…I'm not going to.


	2. Chapter 2

**I Don't Want to Talk About It **

**A/N: ****SURPRISE**

**Yes, this is the surprise. Updating all of my eighteen in-progress fics at once. It was pretty crazy, but I did it, and it's here, and good day to you all! I had tons of fun doing this, so I hope you guys have tons of fun reading this!**

**Well, here is the newest chapter :D and next chapter will be from Jack's POV. Please give me feedback in the reviews! **

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**- Hiccup –**

We never used to do watch before entering this forest, but the place makes us all a little uneasy. Jack especially seems tense and on edge, constantly glancing around, his staff clenched tightly in one hand as he flies. We have plenty of time to talk up there in the clouds all day, but he doesn't seem to want to and I'm awkward as a fish out of water and have long since given up trying to make friends. Who needs friends when I've got Toothless?

I actually was going to plead my case and try and take watch again tonight, but by the time night began to fall, I knew that that would not be an option. It was everything I could do to keep my eyes open while the other three searched for a place to sleep, and now that I'm on solid ground again and that Toothless no longer depends on me, I hit the ground and curl up next to my dragon, letting my eyes fall closed at last.

Of course, sleep isn't exactly restful these days, which is why I prefer watch to sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I know the faces that are going to appear in my dreams. And they do. They always do. Every little mistake I made that day is spelled out so clearly in their hateful eyes.

This dream is a new one, not the familiar nightmare.

Toothless struggles against his chains, growling at anybody who dares come near, glaring at them with clear loathing in his green eyes. I want to run to him, to reassure him that things will be okay, but I'm frozen in the moment, realizing that my dad's eyes are locked on me. And I can only imagine what he's going to say, what he's going to do, what he's going to think.

_The Great Hall turns into a scene of my worst nightmares as he throws me in, slamming the door shut behind him, sending us into complete darkness. My breath catches in my throat as he raises his hand, and I suddenly realize what he is about to do just seconds before he does it. My ears ring with the force of the blow, and tears of pain spring to my eyes. "Dad…" My voice comes out very quiet. I'm cowering before my own father. I'm flinching. I'm genuinely scared of him. _

_I've been nervous around him before, trying to avoid getting yelled at, but I've never actually been scared of him. _

"_You've thrown your lot in with them," he sneers, glaring down at me where I lay on the stone floor. "You're not a Viking." _

_In the moment, I didn't know what was coming, but my dream self does and I keep trying to crawl backward away from him, hoping to escape before he hits me again, before he utters the words._

"_You're not my—_

"Hiccup!"

The shout has my eyes flying open and I'm instantly up, reaching for Toothless, aching to feel the dragon's nose beneath my fingers. I'm still half stuck in the nightmare, and desperate to know that my dragon is beside me.

"Hiccup, wake up!" It's Merida, her long, frizzy hair tickling my nose as she leans over me. I wrinkle my nose instinctively, trying to push her away.

"What's wrong? What's up?"

"You were having a nightmare," she explains shortly, taking to her feet and walking to the other side of the fire pit. She lingers over the blaze, warming her hands and sweeping her hair back from her face.

Merida barely pays me any attention, so it's surprising that she's the one who woke me; at least, until I glance around at the others and realize they're fast asleep, too. "You're on watch?" I frown.

She nods without looking up at me. "Jack tried to take it, but I told him no." The use of the spirit's real name is surprising; normally, she just calls him Snowflake or Frost.

"If you're tired, I can take over," I tell her, sitting up. Toothless startles awake when he realizes I'm no longer beside him, but calms instantly when he realizes where I am.

"You look like you could do with some more sleep," she won't meet my eyes as she talks, keeping her blue eyes fixed carefully on the warm blaze. "You should get the rest while you can, Jack will probably be awake in a couple hours and urging us all to get going, you know how he is." There's a note of fondness in her voice that is only partially disguised by annoyance.

"I'm not getting any more sleep," I reply honestly. "Not after that. You look like you could do with some, too."

"Hiccup, I'm _not_ going to sleep," she says, and there's something hard in her tone now. "If you want to stay awake that's fine by me, but shut up about watch."

"O…kay." I drop the argument and lean against my dragon once more, resting my head on his stomach like he's a pillow. My hair appears to be tickling him, because he gives a slight dragon laugh and rolls over so my head rests on his back instead. I reach up and absently scratch him under the chin, staring up at the moon. It's full tonight, which strikes me as odd. It was full last night, too, and the night before that.

I remember this because as we flew around, looking for a place to sleep, Jack kept throwing the glowing white halo it created dark looks, as if the moon had personally done something to him to offend him.

For a moment, I just lay there, staring up at the moon and stars and contemplating Jack's odd behavior, and Merida's sharp tone, and Rapunzel's odd hair that she never lets us ask questions about. It's super strong and super thick and super blonde, but she refuses to tell us anything about it or cut it, even when she complains that it gets in her way.

My thoughts aren't even straying to my nightmare, which is surprising. Whenever I have that dream, I always lay awake for hours thinking about it, but tonight, I'm already beginning to doze again.

I curl up closer to Toothless and I wrap one arm around him, ceasing scratching him, just staying with him. For once, I feel safe and warm and loved, simply because he's there beside me.

And then comes an odd, out-of-place noise amongst the cool night breeze and the hissing and crackling of the flames: an arrow being notched within a bow. I sit up and open my eyes, looking around at Merida. Sure enough, her bow is out and she's aiming it into the trees.

"Are you going to shoot?" I demand blearily.

She puts a stern finger to her lips before her blue eyes slide away from me again, back to whatever she's looking at. Standing up slowly, drawing her bowstring even farther back, she retreats away from the edge of the trees, closer to Jack and Rapunzel.

I take to my feet and Toothless is instantly on alert, his ears low over his head, his chin nearly touching the ground.

"Ah!" Merida goes sprawling, tripping over Rapunzel as she walked backwards. Her arrow flies out of the bow and Rapunzel, unsurprisingly, shoots awake, shoving Merida off her.

"Get off – you're so _heavy_!" the blonde moans.

"Shut up! Shut up!" Merida is already frantically notching another arrow while also trying to slam a palm over Rapunzel's mouth.

"Ladies, ladies, what's going on?" Jack demands, stirring and pointing his staff at nothing and everything.

"Merida jumped on me." Rapunzel sounds annoyed.

"There's someone in the woods! Guys, be quiet!" Merida begs them.

"You jumped on her? Jeez, no wonder she woke up," Jack teases, but Merida turns her bow on him.

"Be quiet, Snowflake, or I _will_ shoot you."

"Hello, mates."

As one, we all wheel around to face the source of the sudden voice, laced with a rather thick accent.

Toothless' growls grow in volume as the figure steps out of the shadows and I glance around at the others to see if it's just me seeing things. There is apparently a rabbit walking out of the woods at us. But it's a rabbit like I've never seen them before.

This rabbit not only stands on his hind legs, but he is speaking to us. Assuming the voice came from him, of course, and I really hope it didn't. The rabbit is easily six feet tall with muscles that could rival my father's and a couple polished wooden boomerangs in his hand.

Merida turns her bow upon the intruder, Rapunzel jerks her frying pan up from the ground, Toothless readies himself to charge, but Jack…Jack is the most surprising of all. He tenses up, but doesn't turn his staff on the rabbit. "Can I ask what you're doing here, Bunny?"

The rabbit, Bunny apparently, (_so_ original) inspects one of his boomerangs at length as he talks. "You could, but I probably won't answer."

"No," Jack's voice is low and surprisingly bitter. "You never did answer my questions."

"Fellas?" Bunny pointedly ignores this rather passive-aggressive remark.

And then I know for sure that I'm dreaming, because a huge, furry creature with a mustache like Gobber's comes flying out of the woods behind Bunny. Three more just like it follow, and they're all carrying a red sack upon their shoulders. Without hesitating, one of them comes up to Jack, grabs his staff surprisingly gently and, without further ado, stuffs him into one of the red sacks.

Toothless is watching in apparent interest, but when one of the furry creatures grabs me, he starts to get a little protective. I see a blast of bright blue, signifying that he just shot a fireball at the creature, but then I'm stuffed in the sack.

I hear another of the creatures grunt as Merida shoots him with her bow, but then the creature forces me further into the bag. I feel myself being lifted up like I'm weightless and then I feel myself being forced through a very tight doorway. I wince and grab the sides of the bag, pummeling the sack with my fists, but I might as well be sitting quietly for all the good it's doing; not one of the creatures pays me any attention whatsoever.

We're through the doorway then, and I land on a cool but hard surface. I hear three more thumps and guess what must have happened to the others.

Toothless frantically tears apart the sack to get to me, licking and crooning and nuzzling me like crazy.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," I whisper, but my attention is drawn away from my dragon by a loud shout, seemingly of joy.

"There they are!"

Raising my eyes from the green reptilian pupils, I see the strangest collection of people I have ever seen in my life.


	3. Chapter 3

**I Don't Want to Talk About It **

**A/N: I hope you all enjoy. Next chapter will be Rapunzel's POV, and I hope you liked Jack's. **

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**- Jack –**

The moment I'm out of the sack, my eyes are scanning the room, mapping out the exits, taking note of all the yetis – including the one holding my staff. I expect I'll have to fight him on it, but he offers it back to me without so much as a challenge. I keep my eyes carefully locked on my only weapon in this world as I take it from him. Tightening my grip on it, I glance around the room once more, taking in the people in it this time.

Merida is crawling out of the sack, running her hands through her frizzy orange curls as she tries in vain to restrain them; Rapunzel's green eyes are wide as she gazes about herself in wonder; and Hiccup is so busy assuring his dragon that he's okay that he really doesn't notice much else. But I notice it. They're all standing there, all the Guardians, smiling hopefully at us, like they think if they make a good impression, I'll actually sit here and listen to them.

My anger rises, and my vision is clouded suddenly by a hazy mass of red. I am not going to listen to them. If they're trying to justify themselves…

"There they are!" Santa declares happily, spreading wide his hands. "Jack Frost!"

"Rapunzel Corona!" The tooth fairy squeals, clapping her hands together in delight. She offers me a slight wave. "Hello, Jack! I've heard a lot about you! And your teeth!"

"My…my what?" Forget listening to them – I can't even really make sense of what they're saying.

Sandy flashes a couple symbols above his head, smiling at Merida and Hiccup in turn, waving at them. Hiccup appears fascinated by the shimmering golden form, and takes a long second to wave back. Merida has clearly wrestled her bow away from the yetis, because another arrow is notched, and she keeps pointing it at each of the Guardians in turn, like she's not sure who to shoot first.

"What did you call me?" Rapunzel asks the hyperactive fairy. Thankfully, Tooth turns her attentions away from me to explain whatever she called Rapunzel – I didn't really hear.

"Please, put the bow down," North adds to Merida, making calming gestures with his hands. "We are not going to hurt you. We are here to protect you."

"_Protect_ me?" Merida narrows her blue eyes. "I don't trust men who look like they stepped out of a Christmas storybook."

To my intense surprise, North laughs. I mean, like actually laughs, not a light little titter to diffuse the tension. It's genuine, and Merida just looks even more enraged at the fact that he has the nerve to laugh at her.

She tightens her grip on her bow and shifts it, so the arrow points towards him. "What's so funny?"

"Merida," North clasps his hands. "You are in no danger here. I promise you that. I am Santa Claus, and you may call me North. That there is Tooth," he points to the fairy, "Sandman," he gestures to the golden man, smiling and waving at her again, "and Bunny." He barely even looks at the huge rabbit standing just behind him, inspecting his boomerangs at great length.

Merida looks a little faint. I think North overwhelmed her. "You mean, like…the actual Santa Claus, who brings kids presents at Christmas and everything?"

North chuckles and nods, and Rapunzel looks up, excited. "I know who you are!" She exclaims. "I read about you in the storybooks in my to— And then she cuts herself off again, keeping herself guarded, as she always does.

North, Merida and I continue to stare at her for a second before I just give the other two a shrug. Rapunzel and Tooth return to their conversation, and Hiccup pipes up, looking confused. "What's Christmas?"

North gasps like this is the worst thing in the world, to not know about Christmas, and takes Hiccup aside. I watch the boy's eyes grow wide as dinner plates the longer North talks. Merida watches the exchange with her arms crossed, and Bunny finally lifts his eyes from his boomerang, leaning forward to speak with her. His voice is surprisingly gentle as he asks her if she's alright.

"I think I've got it all," she replies, though she still looks a little faint. "You're childhood legends, aren't you? Like you're the Easter Bunny?"

The rabbit nods, and as the two of them begin their own conversation, I realize I've been left alone with Sandy.

And that's not actually a bad thing. Sandy's a pretty cool guy, to be frank. He's generally nice to me whenever our paths cross, and he's wicked funny. I guess I'm just not really sure what to say to him, so for a bit of time, the silence between us just stretches on, punctuated very obviously by the fact that everyone around us is chattering. Finally, I kneel down to his height and start asking questions. "Anyone want to tell me why I'm here?"

Sandy has clearly been waiting for me to ask this question. A barrage of symbols flash above his head: a snowflake, an outline of somebody I don't recognize, an outline of a girl holding a bow, an outline of a boy and his dragon, and then a girl with superlong hair…

Even though I get what the outlines and snowflake are meant to represent, the symbols are flashing by so fast, and he gives so little explanation that it makes it difficult to understand. "That's not really helping, but thanks, little man."

As I rise back up to my full height again, I see that Rapunzel, Hiccup and Merida have finished up their conversations, and are looking to North for further guidance.

"We must have done something really bad to get the Big Four all together," I comment, swinging my staff over my shoulder. I don't really know what could possibly have gathered them here, but I know that the other three kids all look apprehensive, maybe even a little afraid, and I want to put their minds at ease. "Whoa, wait." I raise one hand as a new idea comes to me. "Are we on the naughty list?"

"Ha!" North jabs. "_On_ naughty list? You hold the record!" He points at me as he talks. "And you," he points at Merida, "you better work on your behavior, or you'll be getting coal."

Merida looks shocked, and I can't help but smirk.

"But no matter," North shrugs it off. "We overlook. Now, we are wiping clean the slate."

The other three exchange glances, but I know the Guardians. They don't ever do something for somebody else unless they want something from them in return. I know them. "How come?" I don't try to keep the distrust out of my voice.

"I tell you how come," North replies. "Because_ you _are Guardian," he points at me, "and you three," he gestures to Rapunzel, Merida, and Hiccup, "need our protection."

There is a long period of silence. Tooth smiles hopefully at me. Sandy gives me a thumbs-up.

"What the hell?" I finally manage to blurt.

"Excuse me, I don't need your protection," Merida angrily swings her hair over one shoulder, her blue eyes blazing.

"I kind of have a dragon," Hiccup gestures to the Night Fury. "I'm all set in terms of protection."

Rapunzel alone is the only one who's silent – she looks shell-shocked, like she's about to cry. Tooth's purple eyes soften when they focus on the blonde girl, but I don't have time to puzzle this out – I'm too busy trying to figure out why on earth North just told me I am one of them.

"We have explaining to do," North remarks to no one in particular. Then he clasps his hands together. "Jack, you are Guardian. You see, just take this oath," he grabs a huge, dusty book from off a nearby table and flips it open, "and everything is settled. See?"

"No, I don't see," I snap. "What makes you think I want to be a Guardian in the first place?"

Tooth drifts away from us to talk to Rapunzel again, but everyone else's attention is still fixed on us. Bunny's face spasms, as if he can't begin to fathom why I would ask such a question. North looks bemused, and laughs loudly again, gesturing to me like he's inviting the others to share the joke. "Of course you do."

"Why are you picking me now?" I keep a tight grip on my staff, scared to let it go. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Merida is guarding my left side, her bow fixed firmly on North again. "Why didn't you pick me three hundred years ago, exactly?"

North looks at me in surprise. "Pick? You think _we_ pick?"

"Um…yeah…."

"No!" He replies angrily. "You were _chosen_! Like we were all chosen! By Man in Moon!"

This gets my attention. If I had a heartbeat – which I don't – it would have stopped then and there. I think I might be holding my breath as I whisper, "The man in the moon…he talks to you?" Why is he talking to the Guardians and not me? I hear the moon speak, and apparently they do, too…does this mean that I'm not completely crazy? My mind whirls with possibilities. And why would he pick me to be the newest Guardian? I'm not fit for any of that stuff.

"Last night, Jack. He chose you."

"Maybe," Bunny counters North's statement.

North glares at him before meeting my gaze. "If Man in Moon chose you to be a Guardian," he says quietly, steadily, "you must have something very special inside."

He doesn't say anything else, and I find I'm too caught up in my own thoughts to even voice any of the million questions I'm longing to ask. Hiccup instantly jumps in with his own. "So…care to explain why we need protection, Santa? Or, more importantly, what we need protection from?"

"Pitch," North replies tensely.

That has my attention again, momentarily diverting me. "The Boogeyman?"

"Pitch has…been watching you." North is choosing his words carefully. "The forest we found you – it's been completely overrun by his Nightmares, anyone would know to stay away."

Merida shoots me an impatient look. It was me who suggested we take the shortcut through the forest, after all. I offer an apologetic shrug before North recaptures our attention.

"Man in moon has been employing all his efforts to protect you, and bring you all to us safely. And you've all arrived…mostly unscathed." His gaze lingers on each of us in turn. Hiccup squirms a little, fidgeting with his sleeve. "Pitch has undoubtedly discovered that you would be of use to us, Jack, and wants to dispose of you – but he has held back because he sees that you travel with offspring of lightning and death," he nods at Hiccup's dragon, and both the dragon and the boy look startled. "Mortal weapons only affect him up to a certain point, but no doubt he was hoping to avoid your bow as well." The Guardian fixes Merida next with his twinkling gaze.

She holds it steadily for a second before looking away. "So? What? Just because some ancient legend is stirring up trouble, we need protection?"

"Pitch has eye on all of you," North replies forcefully. "I think he imagines you could be of use to him – and whatever is going on inside Boogeyman's brain is not good."

"So, basically, you want me to be a Guardian," I begin. "You want me to link hands with all of you and skip happily into the sunset. You want these three to be left under your protection, and…that's it?"

"It's not so easy," Tooth looks away from her conversation with Rapunzel, but still keeps a hand on the girl's shoulder. "When Pitch threatens us, he threatens the children as well. We need your help, Jack, in fighting him off, and we need to protect the three of you, because we're afraid that the reason for his sudden attacks are linked to you. If he wants you, his reasons can't be good."

The four of us exchange glances. My head is swirling with so much at once that it's impossible to keep it all in, or straight. Briefly, I cut my gaze to Rapunzel, who looks like she's been crying – she wipes at her eyes and offers me a shaky smile.

"Care to explain who Pitch is?" Merida finally breaks the silence.

"Boogeyman," North repeats.

She rolls her eyes. "Like that explains anything. I mean, like, why we need to be protected from him. I guess he's done some pretty bad stuff, but anything in particular we need to know about?"

North considers this for a moment. "Killed one thousand people at once. Drove millions more over the edge into insanity. Creates nightmares. Targets people's worst fears. Still think you don't need protection?"


	4. Chapter 4

**I Don't Want to Talk About It **

**A/N: I don't really like the ending, but mehhhhhh. **

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**- Rapunzel –**

Everything around me is silent. I can see people's lips moving, Jack looking angry, North concerned, Bunny annoyed, Merida frustrated, but I can't make sense of what they're saying. My world is spinning, the single truth it's revolved on for so long suddenly being yanked out from underneath it. The carpet was just yanked out from under my feet, and nobody else seems to notice. I keep running through Tooth's words in my mind, trying to find a way to deny them, some solid evidence I have that she was lying.

I used to play pretend that I was adopted. I don't really know why, I just used to pretend it. I'd pretend that there was a real family, waiting for me just outside the tower, and one day they'd find me again, and they'd want me back, and I'd leave my mother and go join them. But you know, I never really believed it would happen. I fantasized about it for years, mostly because the book that was currently my favorite featured a girl finding out she was adopted, and of course being horrified and going on an exciting adventure to find her birth parents who turned out to be a king and queen.

Pretty silly, right?

And now that story is coming true, only I'm the main character. I can hardly think straight. All those thoughts I used to have when I used to play out that book, all those thoughts about my mother never looking a thing like me, they're all rushing back. I look down at my hands, clenched into fists around the pale purple skirt of my dress. I guess I just need to see my feet on the ground to remind myself that I still exist on this plane. I slowly unclench my fists from my dress, but my hands are numb and cold. I can barely feel them, and even when the fabric no longer touches them, I can't tell the difference.

I wipe at my eyes again as Jack looks back at me, concern clear in his blue eyes. I wonder if I started crying noisily, but I don't think I did. I've always been good at silent crying. I vaguely register North speaking, a lot of chirping, and suddenly we're ushered outside, but I look around at the others. Jack is looking furious and Merida, to my astonishment, is pressing close to Jack, holding her bow out again. Hiccup looks surprisingly upset, but also thoughtful, like he's trying to make a hard decision. I look around when a cold blast of air hits my bare legs and feet. We appear to be standing on ice, outside the building we were just in. I start sliding back out of reality right about then, but Jack and Merida are both yelling at North so loudly that I'm jerked back to earth again.

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Jack has the butt of his staff resting on the ground, and he looks like he's about to summon one of his deadly ice blasts.

"And I'm not climbing into some rickety old—

The great double doors off to the side suddenly burst open, and Merida is cut short by a sudden, sleek red vehicle pulling up in front of her, balanced on gleaming golden runners. Reindeer bigger than the sleigh itself stand in front of it, making little noises, their breath coming out in misty puffs of air.

"Sleigh," Merida finishes, sounding awed.

Jack bites his lip, glaring at North. "Okay. One ride. But that's it."

North grins. "Everyone loves the sleigh." He hops in first, quickly followed by Sandy, Merida, and Jack. "Rapunzel, Hiccup, Bunny," he barks. "What are you three waiting for?"

"I…I…sorry," I stutter, sounding like an idiot as I gingerly climb on. Looking around, I realize Tooth has disappeared without telling me where she's gone. Feeling slightly hurt, I look to Jack, the most informed one of the group. He takes my arm, his cold seeping into my very bones, and smiles reassuringly at me as he guides me to a seat.

"Where's Tooth?" I whisper.

"She had to leave – her fairies are having trouble at her palace, and she flew on ahead of us to take care of it, but we'll be meeting up with her to help."

"I think my tunnels might be faster, mate," Bunny says nervously, kicking the wheel of the sleigh, which does look a little unsteady. "And uh, and safer."

"Get in," North reaches over and grabs Bunny by the scruff of the neck, depositing him beside Sandy. "Hiccup?"

Hiccup shakes his head, slinging a leg over Toothless' back. "I'll follow. Toothless can't fly on his own."

"Very well," North shrugs. "Buckle up."

"Where are the seatbelts?" Bunny demands, looking around the sleigh.

North laughs. "That was just expression. Are we ready?"

"No," Bunny whimpers.

Sandy gives him a thumbs-up. I look away from the Guardians, fixing my gaze on Jack and Merida, who are squished uncomfortably close in the sleigh's tight quarters, both looking like they'd pretty much rather be anywhere but here, Merida especially. She has her hand on her bow, like she thinks Jack might make a move and she'll have to shoot him when he does.

The next few minutes are a barrage of confusing sounds, mostly because I'm beginning to space out again, running through everything Tooth told me. I'm a Corona. Rapunzel Corona. And the kingdom just beyond my tower, Mother always told me, was called Corona. How can I not be a Gothel? I've finally given up fantasizing that there are nicer people out there who are going to take me home. I've finally accepted that my mother will probably never love me in the way I want her to. And now to be told that she's not even my mother? How do these people expect me to feel?

Jack scoots a little closer to me to give Merida some room, putting a hand over mine. "You okay, Punzie?"

My voice doesn't really sound like mine – I sound numb and hollow, which I am. "Why?"

"Why what?" He frowns.

"Why do you…why are you asking me that?" I look up at him, meet his eyes. Blue, and filled with concern. "I didn't realize you cared that much. We never talk. We never even really make eye contact. We hardly know each other."

Jack's eyes soften, and he squeezes my hand gently. "We're a team."

"A team?" I repeat the word, my voice unsteady. The word is unfamiliar to me. I don't think I've ever been part of a team before, except if you count me and Pascal.

Merida shifts slightly in her seat, nudging Jack in the side. "Scoot over."

Jack looks away from me to give her an exaggerated eye roll. "Sorry bout this," he adds to me. "The princess wants more space. Can you scoot over any?"

"Don't call me that."

Sandy realizes our dilemma and gives me an apologetic smile, pointing to Bunny. The rabbit is whispering things under his breath, his eyes tightly closed. Jack looks amused by this as Sandy presses himself as close to the rabbit as we can. Before the sleigh speeds up, Jack looks back and, instinctively, I do, too. Hiccup is behind us, tailing the sleigh closely. When he sees Jack looking at him, he gives a little wave, like, 'hey, I'm just chilling' or something.

I turn my head back around, feeling the tears beginning to sting my eyes again, though that might just be from the cold air. Either way, I glance down so nobody will see, wiping my eyes quickly. Corona. I repeat the word in my head, telling myself that if I just think about it long enough, I'll get used to it. Jack bumps into me again – he's sitting so close to me now that he's practically in my lap, but I can't scoot over any to give him any room – there are just too many people crowded onto the seat.

Merida throws a dark look over her shoulder at Hiccup. "I hope Hiccup's enjoying himself, with all that space."

Jack chuckles, the sound surprisingly lighthearted. "Probably why he wouldn't get in the sleigh in the first place, don't you think?"

North looks back at us all, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Hang on, everybody! I know a shortcut!" He pulls a sparkling snow globe out of his coat, whispering something to it, his mouth so close that his breath fogs up the glass. A swirling vortex of colors appears in front of the sleigh, and we pretty much all gasp. Hiccup swears loudly and tries to steer Toothless into the vortex, but the dragon is showing some resistance. Jack leaps onto the back of the sleigh, allowing Merida some more room. I smile apologetically at Sandy, trying to scoot over so he can breathe again.

He smiles back, forming a question mark above his head and pointing at me.

I nod slowly. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay." Not really, but I'm hoping I will be. So I just smile at him and then turn back around to stare straight ahead as North steers the sleigh into the portal, feeling myself sinking back into confusion and despair. How will I ever find out the truth? How will I ever know whether Tooth or Mother was telling the truth? Will I ever know? I never should have left my tower.

Moments later, wispy black things are flying at us out of nowhere, and Bunny is screaming even louder, if that's possible. One of the wisps shoots so close to North's head that black sand coats his beard. He brushes it easily away – it appears to dissolve in midair, and he looks frightened by this, though I don't see the problem. Jumping onto the front of the sleigh, he grabs Jack by his hoodie and hands him the reins. "Here! Take over!"

North whips out his twin swords and begins slashing at the wisps and Jack nervously pulls on the reins, making the reindeer go faster. Bunny leans over the side, presumably to vomit, but Sandy is trying to figure out what the black things are. One of them, downed by North's swords, dissolves, leaving behind a gleaming golden box. "They're stealing the teeth!" Bunny looks up from puking, which might not be puking, might just be watching the wisps. Who knows.

I glance back to see if Hiccup is having any difficulties – he is. Toothless is blasting the wisps with everything he has, and one of them hisses right in Hiccup's face before the dragon gets to it. My confusion mounts when I see how frightened Hiccup looks. I've never seen him look that scared. He's so distracted that he and Toothless begin to fall before he remembers to press down the tail fin, and they rise back up to our height again.

Jack lets go of the reins long enough to lunge out of the sleigh and grab something, but we begin to plummet, so Jack quickly steers us straight again. Meanwhile, Merida is trying to "guide" him, but really it appears to be making him more nervous. "Left! Left, there's a wisp that way! No, you idiot, my left! Okay, wait! Slow up! Slow up! SLOW UP!"

"I'M TRYING! THIS ISN'T AS EASY AS IT LOOKS!" Jack yells right back at her, and beyond him, I can see we're heading for a huge golden platform. Bunny and Sandy apparently see it, too, because Bunny hides his eyes and Sandy takes drastic action. He leans over and physically yanks the reins out of Jack's hands. It's not enough to stop us, but it does slow our fall, and we land reasonably painlessly on the platform. Well, most of us do.

Merida crawls out, her hair a wreck, one arrow snapped cleanly in half from where she landed on it. She pushes her hair out of her face and sits up on her knees. For a moment, we all do the same, breathing heavily, just trying to catch our breath after the adrenaline rush.

Merida stands up and looks at Jack. "You," she says, "are the worst driver I have ever met."

"Thanks for your save, Sandy," I tell him, and he smiles good-naturedly at me.

Jack jumps up to start arguing with Merida.

North, Sandy and Bunny exchange glances. Bunny brushes black sand and golden sand out of his fur. North inspects his swords. "That went well."


End file.
